Ah, animals – people love them! We keep them in our homes and love them like our family. Keeping pets has proven to be good for people’s physical and emotional health, helping to stave off depression and to lower blood pressure[1]. Plus, they’re not a bad icebreaker when meeting people!
Humans are social creatures. Some of us are passionate about being social; others are
Let’s take a look at how each personality type responded:
There was strong agreement from all types, but some differences emerged between the Roles, which we’ll explore in more detail below:
Roles
Diplomats (88% agreeing)
Diplomats agreed the most with the statement. Known for their empathy and desire to connect with others, these personality types likely find in pets a purity of affection that is difficult to find elsewhere – no manipulation, no calculation, just
It makes sense then that ever-gentle and sensitive Turbulent Mediators (INFP-T) agreed with the statement the most (91%). After spending a day among people, with all their coarseness and duality, Mediators may just need to bask in their pets’ genuine affection, and to give some of their own.
Analysts (83%)
Coming in the second spot are Analysts, which is interesting because they’re rarely noted for their warm, caring dispositions. This response suggests that, while the Thinking and Feeling traits do make a difference here, the Intuitive trait marks the real divide among personality types on this statement.
The Intuitive trait is associated with those who seek novelty, and pets can certainly provide a new perspective. But it’s also possible that Analysts enjoy the company of animals due to their own strong wills: pets don’t often
Explorers (79%)
Explorers, in many ways, are entertainers who like to be entertained. Pets offer this in spades, but so do many other options. This flexibility leaves Explorers with less agreement (though still a majority) than the Intuitive personality types, who likely seek deeper, more compelling connections with their pets. These personality types live in the moment, and leap at the chance to adopt a new furry, feathery, or scaly friend. Many have likely
Sentinels (76%)
Sentinels, while still agreeing 3-to-1, agreed the least out of all the Roles. While these personality types tend to have a firm grasp on their lives, they may be reluctant to introduce anything that can disrupt that. Sentinels are no strangers to commitment, but they prefer to commit to clear goals and to keep within their means while doing so. A commitment to a pet comes with many surprises, but even Assertive Logisticians (ISTJ-A), the least likely to agree with the statement (70% agreeing), couldn’t bring themselves to reject pets entirely – though they likely stick to safer and quieter pets that help them keep their heads clear.
Strategies
Constant Improvement and Social Engagement (86% and 84% agreeing)
Personality types following the Constant Improvement and Social Engagement Strategies were the most likely to agree, owing to their shared Turbulent trait. Turbulent types are sensitive to stress, and whether they admit it or not, they need an emotional outlet. Not all responsibilities and stresses are created equal, though. While Constant Improvers and Social Engagers alike may sometimes feel like the last thing they need is another responsibility, a cuddle session with their favorite furry companion may be exactly what they need.
But on a more practical line, Constant Improvers could use the extra daily boost out the door that an active pet demands, and Social Engagers may relish the opportunity to meet their friends and neighbors at the local dog run.
People Mastery and Confident Individualism (80% and 78%)
The Assertive Strategies agreed less with the statement, though admittedly not by much. These personality types tend to be resistant to stress, and may not need to depend so much on the emotional benefits a pet can provide. They are less likely to feel they need an outside influence, like a dog who needs a walk, to get them out the door (either because they’re perfectly happy to step outside anyways, or because they’ll go outside when they please, thank you very much!). But their overwhelming agreement shows that few can resist the simple joy of having a pet.
We also notice an interesting trend in the Strategies. Constant Improvers agreed more than Social Engagers, but Confident Individualists agreed less than People Masters. In this case, Introversion lifted responses higher when paired with the Turbulent trait and lowered them when paired with the Assertive trait, approaching an almost 10% gap between the two Introverted Strategies, while the Extraverted Strategies balanced out the middle with only a 4% difference between them.
This effect can best be explained from the perspective of the Extraverts. These outgoing types are outgoing because they direct their strengths outwards. But pets, as we can see from Turbulent personality types’ agreement with the statement, are often a source of comfort or a means to get out more – a way of compensating for supposed weaknesses. Extraverts’ natural gregariousness can render these needs moot, balancing out their responses. People Masters enjoy the extra company, but don’t necessarily need it from a pet the way Constant Improvers might. Social Engagers tend to enjoy the added company regardless of the source, whereas Confident Individualists are often happy enough alone, whether their companion is human or not.
Conclusion
There can be little doubt that all the personality types love pets, or at least like the idea of having one. Even the traditionally least social types agreed by a landslide: Assertive Logisticians still topped a 70% affirmative response. Turbulent Mediators left no doubt at all. This study also showed how important the interplay of traits is in determining our preferences, as seen in the Strategies.
What about you? Do you have a pet, or would you love to get one? Share your experiences with us, in the comments section below!